So, it seems DS is having night terrors....

[Miss E]

After consulting Dr Google, I think that DS has started having night terrors. For awhile now we've found him sleep walking every now and then, but the last couple of nights we've experienced something totally different. I can really only describe it as a tantrum in his sleep where he is crying and thrashing around inconsolably. From what I've read it all seem pretty 'text book' (same time each night, unaware that we're there, finish as abruptly as they start etc etc) except for one thing - we're getting them twice a night. One about an hour after he goes to sleep (8.30pm ish) but then again at around 1.30am.

The different bits and pieces I've read do vary a bit in how they describe the typical night terror. But there is one thing that has stuck in my mind. On one US site they had a few scenarios where you should seek medical advice. One of those was if they occur in the second part of the night. This was the only place I saw it, but now I'm wondering if we should visit the GP...

But on the flip side, it's only been the last two nights (mind you, thinking about it now I'm sure that we may have had one or two other occassions like this in the past). I kinda feel like I should wait it out a bit longer before taking action...

What would you do? What's your experience with night terrors been?

[FabFiona]

We had our second last night. The first was a few weeks ago. They were both around 10.30 pm. It is the worst I've ever seen him. He was thrashing around and just inconsolable. After around 20 mins he went straight back to sleep.

It was pretty awful to watch and knowing that I can't really do much.

Something I read indicated that being overtired can cause them. We started waking him from his day sleep after 1.5 hours as he was impossible to get to sleep at night. In wondering if the two are linked?....

What was the medical condition that later night terrors indicated? I'm not sure what a GP could do.

Hope your little one grows out of it soon.

[Miss E]

What was the medical condition that later night terrors indicated? I'm not sure what a GP could do.

not sure... there was just a list of things and that was one of them. I guess for this one it may be some sort of condition that causes seizures

When to call your child's physician:
While night terrors are not harmful, they can resemble other conditions or lead to problems for the child. Consult your child's physician if you notice any of the following:

the child has drooling, jerking, or stiffening
terrors happen after the seven nights of waking
terrors last longer than 30 minutes
your child does something dangerous during an episode
terrors are happening during the second half of the night
your child has daytime fears
you feel family stress may be a factor
you have other questions or concerns about your child's night terrors

Hope you little one stops having them soon too! they're awful Maybe see if the nap thing has an impact . I must admit I'm not keen to start waking him before them, but if we have a few more consecutive nights like the couple we've had then I think I might have to give it a shot.

[RhiChiChi]

My DD used to have them when she was younger. Seems to coincide with a coupld od things - developmental plus food she was eating. The few times the night terrors occured she had eaten BBQ Sakatas - so I am tipping some sort of preservative may have set her off. Once I stopped her eating them, she was fine. I also would encourage you not to try to wake them - this only prolonged our DD settling back to sleep. We used to just follow her around the house to make sure she was safe but stopped trying to get her back to sleep or wake her up. GL

[~Kim~]

I have been doing NTs since DD was 18months old....yay me. She stopped and now DS gets them. DD sleep walked too. Often i'd find her in the wardrobe or a dark corner screaming.
The GP will generally only do something if there are lots a night (we've had up to 4-5 a night in a bad patch) every night. That's when they get sedatives and sleep clinics involved.
It's their brain transitioning (albeit badly) from one cycle to the next. There are lots of theories about it, many conflicting. I've tried diet, removing chemicals from the home, keeping the same routine, Brauers, Bach flower remedies etc etc.
Often the follow a weaning on and weaning off pattern. DD would have maybe a few days without one and then over about 6 weeks we'd build up to every night and then multiple times a night and then wean off in the same pattern.
The worst ones were when someone looking after her (DH usually cos he didn't deal with them often) would try and wake her...then they'd have to propensity to go for hours.
Many kids don't like to be touched either. Their brain is already stimulated so touch can send them over the edge.
I know ~Sarah~ had success with resetting the sleep cycle by waking her little guy in the few minutes before he regularly had one and either taking him to the loo or offering a drink, but that didn't work for us. DD is such a heavy sleeper waking her once she's asleep is really hard.
Overtiredness is absolutely a causative factor here. As is a later than normal bedtime.

Hope you don't get a long stint chick. I can totally sympathise with it being the pits.

[Novella]

My DD2 had them up until about 20 months. The cause every time was her being overtired. It was horrible to watch but waking her up made it worse. I hope it gets better for you soon

[Frangipani]

DS1 used to get regular night terrors from around 20months til about 2years old (with only occasional ones since). It was/is generally around midnight...most nights. He would wake screaming and tantruming and looking terrified but when we looked at his face it was like he couldn't see us...looking beyond us (like in a daze).

Through BB and Dr Google I found the main cause for us seemed to be the natural preservative 'annatto' or also seen as '160b'. Its a food yellow/orange food colouring. Everytime he had this in something (our main thing was 'plastic cheese' and margarine...though not as much) he woke...everytime! So I cut this out and it made a huge difference.

I had also read something about grapes too...that too many can also cause night terrors. DS1 at that point was eating lots- so I cut these down (not out completely though ...just not as many).

Also find overtiredness to be a contributor. I believe this is the cause of the occasional ones we get (which I say would be about maybe once sometimes twice a month, depending).

Maybe have a look at her diet and sleeping habits first too. And when they do occur...I just comfort and tell DS1 everything will be alright. If he is yelling stuff I try to figure out what he's saying and play along in a soothing way (like a sleep walker). It seems to end the night terror quicker.

Give it a bit more time and see how it goes but if it persists please do go see the doctor. One of my colleagues granddaughters had something similar and hers turned out to be epileptic type thing (i can't think of the actual name for it...sure it'll come to me later though).

Hope it eases for you soon...it is scary watching it and must be so frightening for them at the time - though I don't think they remember it...but we sure do

Bec sent this on her Samsung using Tapatalk

[Miss E]

Thanks ladies.

The last couple of nights we haven't had one, so that is a bit of a relief. Mind you he did sleep walk one of those nights... I'm still stumped as to what may be causing them though. In the last week or two he's finally started getting decent sleep (sleeping longer in the morning and having a longer nap) so I don't think overtiredness is a factor. I also don't think it's food related, I'm a little bit obsessed with checking everything on Additive Alert and know that there aren't any concerns with anything he eats. Grapes could be a factor... The only other thing I can think of is the heat, both of those days were 35 degrees here in Melb. I read somewhere that a fever can be a contributing factor, so I can't help but wonder if hotter weather could play a part...

[RhiChiChi]

Definately could be - he might be just out of whack or like ~Kim~ said it is just their brain transitioning - I googled & found this info. It did help keeping a smooth routine, plenty of sleep or rest during the day and no food additives. They do grow out of it

[~Kim~]

Sometimes it's just a brain development thing.

[Novella]

Glad things have settled a bit. Sleep walking and night terrors are related I read an article I think on the child and youth health website that said something like 2% of kids that have night terrors will go on to sleep walk however a significant percentage of sleep walkers will have had night terrors as kids. Over heating was definitely a factor for dd2s terrors, not really fevers though.